An all optical approach for comprehensive in-operando analysis of radiative and nonradiative recombination processes in GaAs double heterostructures

Zhang, Fan; Castaneda, Jose F.; Gfroerer, Timothy H.; Friedman, Daniel; Zhang, Yong-Hang; Wanlass, Mark W.; Zhang, Yong

doi:10.1038/s41377-022-00833-5

Title: An all optical approach for comprehensive in-operando analysis of radiative and nonradiative recombination processes in GaAs double heterostructures

Journal Article · Fri May 13 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Light, Science & Applications

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-022-00833-5· OSTI ID:1871530

Zhang, Fan ^[1]; Castaneda, Jose F. ^[2]; Gfroerer, Timothy H. ^[3];

^[4]; Zhang, Yong-Hang ^[5]; Wanlass, Mark W. ^[6];

^[2]

Univ. of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC (United States); Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan (China)
Univ. of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC (United States)
Davidson College, NC (United States)
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States)
Wanlass Consulting, Norwood, CO (United States)

We demonstrate an all optical approach that can surprisingly offer the possibility of yielding much more information than one would expect, pertinent to the carrier recombination dynamics via both radiative and nonradiative processes when only one dominant deep defect level is present in a semiconductor material. By applying a band-defect state coupling model that explicitly treats the inter-band radiative recombination and Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) recombination via the deep defect states on an equal footing for any defect center occupation fraction, and analyzing photoluminescence (PL) as a function of excitation density over a wide range of the excitation density (e.g., 5–6 orders in magnitude), in conjunction with Raman measurements of the LO-phonon plasmon (LOPP) coupled mode, nearly all of the key parameters relevant to the recombination processes can be obtained. They include internal quantum efficiency (IQE), minority and majority carrier density, inter-band radiative recombination rate (W_r), minority carrier nonradiative recombination rate (W_nr), defect center occupation fraction (f), defect center density (N_t), and minority and majority carrier capture cross-sections (σ_t and σ_tM). While some of this information is thought to be obtainable optically, such as IQE and the W_r/W_nr ratio, most of the other parameters are generally considered to be attainable only through electrical techniques, such as current-voltage (I-V) characteristics and deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). Following a procedure developed herein, this approach has been successfully applied to three GaAs double-heterostructures that exhibit two distinctly different nonradiative recombination characteristics. The method greatly enhances the usefulness of the simple PL technique to an unprecedented level, facilitating comprehensive material and device characterization without the need for any device processing.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Cite

Export

Save

Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office; US Army Research Office; Bissell Distinguished Professor endowment fund; Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308; 2021A1515110170; W911NF-16-1-0263

OSTI ID:: 1871530

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5900-81272; MainId:82045; UUID:18affc16-6d00-4caf-b186-5542646c08da; MainAdminID:64587; TRN: US2306767

Journal Information:: Light, Science & Applications, Vol. 11, Issue 1; ISSN 2047-7538

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (39)

Raman scattering of coupled longitudinal optical phonon‐plasmon modes in dry etched n ⁺ ‐GaAs Wang, P. D.; Foad, M. A.; Sotomayor‐Torres, C. M. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 71, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.350885	journal	April 1992
Observation of the Interaction of Plasmons with Longitudinal Optical Phonons in GaAs Mooradian, A.; Wright, G. B. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 16, Issue 22 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.16.999	journal	May 1966
Comparative studies of optoelectrical properties of prominent PV materials: Halide perovskite, CdTe, and GaAs Zhang, Fan; Castaneda, Jose F.; Chen, Shangshang Materials Today, Vol. 36 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2020.01.001	journal	June 2020
Impact of Individual Structural Defects in GaAs Solar Cells: A Correlative and In Operando Investigation of Signatures, Structures, and Effects Chen, Qiong; McKeon, Brandon S.; Zhang, Sunny Y. Advanced Optical Materials, Vol. 9, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/adom.202001487	journal	November 2020
In Operando Micro-Raman Three-Dimensional Thermometry with Diffraction-Limit Spatial Resolution for $Ga N$ -based Light-Emitting Diodes Park, T.; Guan, Yong-Jing; Liu, Zhi-Qiang Physical Review Applied, Vol. 10, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.10.034049	journal	September 2018
Determination and improvement of spontaneous emission quantum efficiency in GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy Wang, J. -B.; Ding, D.; Johnson, S. R. physica status solidi (b), Vol. 244, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1002/pssb.200675612	journal	August 2007
Electron and hole capture cross-sections at deep centers in gallium arsenide Mitonneau, A.; Mircea, A.; Martin, G. M. Revue de Physique Appliquée, Vol. 14, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1051/rphysap:019790014010085300	journal	January 1979
Characterization of radiative efficiency in double heterostructures of InGaAsP/InP by photoluminescence intensity analysis Komiya, Satoshi; Yamaguchi, Akio; Umebu, Itsuo Solid-State Electronics, Vol. 29, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-1101(86)90044-4	journal	February 1986
Statistics of the Recombinations of Holes and Electrons Shockley, W.; Read, W. T. Physical Review, Vol. 87, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.87.835	journal	September 1952
Spatially resolved study of quantum efficiency droop in InGaN light-emitting diodes Lin, Yue; Zhang, Yong; Liu, Zhiqiang Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 101, Issue 25 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4772549	journal	December 2012
Growth, steady-state, and time-resolved photoluminescence study of CdTe/MgCdTe double heterostructures on InSb substrates using molecular beam epitaxy DiNezza, Michael J.; Zhao, Xin-Hao; Liu, Shi Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 103, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4828984	journal	November 2013
Determination of the charge carrier concentration and mobility in n-gap by Raman spectroscopy Irmer, G.; Toporov, V. V.; Bairamov, B. H. physica status solidi (b), Vol. 119, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/pssb.2221190219	journal	October 1983
Defect-related density of states in low-band gap InxGa1−xAs/InAsyP1−y double heterostructures grown on InP substrates Gfroerer, T. H.; Priestley, L. P.; Weindruch, F. E. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 80, Issue 24 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1487449	journal	June 2002
Auger recombination in intrinsic GaAs Strauss, U.; Rühle, W. W.; Köhler, K. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 62, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.108817	journal	January 1993
Kinetic energy dependence of carrier diffusion in a GaAs epilayer studied by wavelength selective PL imaging Zhang, S.; Su, L. Q.; Kon, J. Journal of Luminescence, Vol. 185 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jlumin.2017.01.013	journal	May 2017
Room-temperature band-edge photoluminescence from cadmium telluride Lee, Jaesun; Giles, N. C.; Rajavel, D. Physical Review B, Vol. 49, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.49.1668	journal	January 1994
Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopy: Characterization And Identification Of Electronic Defects Johnson, N. M. Optical Engineering, Vol. 25, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1117/12.7973888	journal	May 1986
Ultrahigh spontaneous emission quantum efficiency, 99.7% internally and 72% externally, from AlGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs double heterostructures Schnitzer, I.; Yablonovitch, E.; Caneau, C. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 62, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.109348	journal	January 1993
Band-to-Band Radiative Recombination in Groups IV, VI, and III-V Semiconductors (I) Varshni, Y. P. physica status solidi (b), Vol. 19, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/pssb.19670190202	journal	January 1967
Characterization of recombination processes in multiple narrow asymmetric coupled quantum wells based on the dependence of photoluminescence on laser intensity Ding, Y. J.; Guo, C. L.; Khurgin, J. B. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 60, Issue 17 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.107111	journal	April 1992
Efficiency droop in light-emitting diodes: Challenges and countermeasures: Efficiency droop in light-emitting diodes: Challenges and countermeasures Cho, Jaehee; Schubert, E. Fred; Kim, Jong Kyu Laser & Photonics Reviews, Vol. 7, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/lpor.201200025	journal	January 2013
Plasmonic all-optical tunable wavelength shifter Fluegel, B.; Mascarenhas, A.; Snoke, D. W. Nature Photonics, Vol. 1, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2007.229	journal	November 2007
Raman study of longitudinal optical phonon‐plasmon coupling and disorder effects in heavily Be‐doped GaAs Mlayah, A.; Carles, R.; Landa, G. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 69, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.348957	journal	April 1991
Using the excitation-dependent radiative efficiency to assess asymmetry in the defect-related density of states Topaz, A.; West, B. A.; Gfroerer, T. H. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 90, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2709986	journal	February 2007
Overcoming diffusion-related limitations in semiconductor defect imaging with phonon-plasmon-coupled mode Raman scattering Hu, Changkui; Chen, Qiong; Chen, Fengxiang Light: Science & Applications, Vol. 7, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-018-0016-y	journal	June 2018
Determination of free carrier concentration in n ‐GaInP alloy by Raman scattering Sinha, K.; Mascarenhas, A.; Kurtz, Sarah R. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 78, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.360715	journal	August 1995
Collective Modes of Photoexcited Electron-Hole Plasmas in GaAs Pinczuk, A.; Shah, Jagdeep; Wolff, P. A. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 47, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.47.1487	journal	November 1981
Raman scattering from LO phonon‐plasmon coupled modes in gallium nitride Kozawa, T.; Kachi, T.; Kano, H. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 75, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.356492	journal	January 1994
Theory of Space Charge Limited Currents Zhang, X. -G.; Pantelides, Sokrates T. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 108, Issue 26 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.266602	journal	June 2012
Nonradiative capture and recombination by multiphonon emission in GaAs and GaP Henry, C. H.; Lang, D. V. Physical Review B, Vol. 15, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.15.989	journal	January 1977
Internal quantum efficiency and nonradiative recombination coefficient of GaInN/GaN multiple quantum wells with different dislocation densities Dai, Q.; Schubert, M. F.; Kim, M. H. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 94, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3100773	journal	March 2009
An extended defect as a sensor for free carrier diffusion in a semiconductor Gfroerer, T. H.; Zhang, Yong; Wanlass, M. W. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 102, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4775369	journal	January 2013
Raman spectroscopy—A versatile tool for characterization of thin films and heterostructures of GaAs and AlxGa1−xAs Abstreiter, G.; Bauser, E.; Fischer, A. Applied Physics, Vol. 16, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00885858	journal	August 1978
Recombination lifetime of In0.53Ga0.47As as a function of doping density Ahrenkiel, R. K.; Ellingson, R.; Johnston, S. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 72, Issue 26 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.121669	journal	June 1998
Electron-Hole Recombination in Germanium Hall, R. N. Physical Review, Vol. 87, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.87.387	journal	July 1952
In Situ Surface State Spectroscopy by Photoluminescence and Surface Current Transport for Compound Semiconductors Saitoh, Toshiya; Hirotake Iwadate, Hirotake Iwadate; Hideki Hasegawa, Hideki Hasegawa Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 30, Issue 12S https://doi.org/10.1143/JJAP.30.3750	journal	December 1991
Light scattering by a multicomponent plasma coupled with longitudinal-optical phonons: Raman spectra of $p$ -type GaAs:Zn Irmer, G.; Wenzel, M.; Monecke, J. Physical Review B, Vol. 56, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.56.9524	journal	October 1997
Effects of spontaneous ordering on Raman spectra of ${GaInP}_{2}$ Cheong, Hyeonsik M.; Mascarenhas, Angelo; Ernst, Peter Physical Review B, Vol. 56, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.56.1882	journal	July 1997
Optical enhancement of the open-circuit voltage in high quality GaAs solar cells Steiner, M. A.; Geisz, J. F.; García, I. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 113, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4798267	journal	March 2013

Similar Records

Comparative studies of optoelectrical properties of prominent PV materials: Halide perovskite, CdTe, and GaAs

Journal Article · Fri Feb 07 00:00:00 EST 2020 · Materials Today · OSTI ID:1871530

Zhang, Fan; Castaneda, Jose F.; Chen, Shangshang; +13 more

Influence of trap-assisted and intrinsic Auger–Meitner recombination on efficiency droop in green InGaN/GaN LEDs

Journal Article · Tue Sep 12 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Applied Physics Letters · OSTI ID:1871530

Li, Xuefeng; DeJong, Elizabeth; Armitage, Rob; +2 more

Temperature-dependent optical measurements of the dominant recombination mechanisms in InAs/InAsSb type-2 superlattices

Journal Article · Tue Sep 22 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Journal of Applied Physics · OSTI ID:1871530

Aytac, Yigit; Olson, Benjamin Varberg; Kim, Jin K.; +5 more

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
14 SOLAR ENERGY
excitation density
LO phonon plasmon
nonradiative recombination process
photoluminescence
photovoltaic
PL
PV
radiative recombination process
Raman measurement

Title: An all optical approach for comprehensive in-operando analysis of radiative and nonradiative recombination processes in GaAs double heterostructures

Citation Formats

References (39)

Similar Records

Related Subjects